In Sickness and in Health
by Ashi Ruby
Summary: After Sakura's parents are killed, Sakura, Sasuke, Naruto, and Hinata must complete the mission they left off. But what will the boys do when Sakura and Hinata are inflicted with a deadly poison? SasuSaku NaruHina
1. Bad News and the Mission

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto

In Sickness and In Health

Chapter 1: Bad News and the Mission

Shizune brought the bad news early in the morning to Tsunade's office. Although she was asleep, Shizune knew that she had to wake her up. "Lady Tsunade...wake up. Wake up, I got a letter for you," she said, shaking the Hokage's shoulders. Tsunade groaned, lifting her head. "This better be important," she muttered, taking the letter from Shizune's hand. "It is...very important," she said with a tone of sadness.

Tsunade opened up the letter, and her lips formed a frown as she read it.

_To the Hokage Tsunade, Village Hidden in the Leaves--_

_I am sorry for this terrible news, but sadly, it cannot be helped in this time of crisis. The two Jonin you sent to our village, Mineki and Raketo Haruno, arrived in our village suffering from a deadly poison that we were unable to extract in time. I regret to say they have passed on, and have now been cremated and prepared for burial in your village._

_However, Raketo left some special things with us for his daughter, Sakura Haruno, to pick up here. He has said that these are the promise rings that Mineki and Raketo has worn. He also left a message for her to read. At this moment, we are unable to deliver these items and the urns to Konoha due to the lack of guards to protect our village. We could use a few extra bits of help, if you are able to spare some._

_I'm very sorry for the loss of your village and for Sakura._

_Hokage Echin, Village Hidden in the Grass_

"Sakura...she's going to be devastated," Shizune said, holding back her tears. Tsunade nodded, "Shizune, go and wake up Sasuke, Naruto, and Hinata. I'll tell Hinata to get Sakura after we inform them of what's going to happen." Shizune nodded, leaving the room. Tsunade sighed and leaned back in her chair, her eyes welling up. Sakura was like her daughter, and now with this, Tsunade felt more like a mother than anything. "She'll find out soon..." she whispered, waiting for them to arrive.

* * *

Sasuke was the first to arrive, way ahead of Naruto and Shizune (who was sadly stuck because Naruto just had to have ramen as soon as he was woken up). Tsunade motioned him to sit, but he decided to lean against the wall instead. "Hmm. Well, aren't you a cheery person in the morning," she said jokingly.

"Hn. What's going on?"

"You are going to go with Sakura, Naruto, and Hinata on a mission to the Village Hidden in the Grass."

"I thought I was still on probation."

"I'm making an exception."

Sasuke shrugged, actually not minding it; sure, he was still stuck with Naruto, but at least he's not stuck alone with him. "You know that we sent Sakura's parents out there to help with a temporary guarding of the village. But..." Tsunade drifted off as she bowed her head. Sasuke arched an eyebrow, "What? What about her parents?" Tsunade sighed, hating the fact she had to say the words.

"They were killed."

She bowed her head farther, trying to cover up her eyes. "I received the news a bit ago. I'm so afraid of how I'm going to tell Sakura, but she has to know a part of her mission," she muttered. "A part?" Sasuke asked, his tone solemn. "The four of you are going to pick up where her parents left off, temporarily guarding the village until after the meeting of the Hokages of the villages of Grass, Cloud, and Mist. On the same token, Sakura is to pick up a few of the remaining things left to her by her parents, including the urns with her parents' ashes for burial."

"I see."

The office became quiet. Finally Tsunade lifted her head and spoke, "I want you to take care of her." Sasuke looked at her, asking her what she meant. "Sakura is like my daughter, Sasuke. And now with this...I hate the fact that I can't help her out in the way I want to. So I want you to take care of her. Keep her safe for me, okay?" she asked, almost pleading. Sasuke didn't say anything at first; he just smirked. "Do you actually believe I wouldn't take care of my teammate?" Tsunade smiled, then turned to see Shizune, Naruto, and Hinata coming in. Tsunade took in a breath before explaining again.

* * *

"Ugh...who is it at 4:36 in the morning?" Sakura groaned, getting up and pulling her robe over her violet nightgown. She crept downstairs, making sure not to wake up TenTen, who was currently staying with her until her house was fixed (Neji and Lee decided to have a fight and they almost made the entire second floor collapse). "If it's Naruto asking me to eat ramen, I'm going to kill him," she muttered, opening the door and seeing Hinata standing there. "Sorry to wake you up this early, Sakura, but Tsunade wants us to go to her office. Naruto and Sasuke are already waiting," she said.

"Hmm? Do we have a mission or something?" Sakura asked, motioning Hinata to come inside. "Yes. For the four of us. She gave Sasuke an exception. It's really important for him to go," the Hyuuga replied. Sakura nodded, "Be quiet. TenTen's still sleeping. Could you do me a favor and write a note for me saying I'm gone while I go get dressed?" Hinata nodded, already reaching for a piece of paper and a pen.

Sakura was dressed quickly, everything in order. Hinata finished the note, laid it on the table, then followed Sakura out. She was very quiet after they left and as they walked to Tsunade's office. "What's wrong, Hinata? You seem so down," Sakura said. "Oh, it's nothing. I'm just tired. I mean, it's really early in the morning, and I get woken up from a nice sleep," Hinata replied. Sakura smiled, "Yeah, I understand that."

Hinata looked at Sakura as she yawned. _'Sakura...I'm so sorry...'_

* * *

"Good morning, Tsunade-sensei," Sakura replied, entering the office. In an instant, she felt the solemn mood. "What's going on?"

Shizune had to turn away, while Naruto lightly pulled Hinata to the side, there to comfort her if she started to cry. "What's going on? Why does everyone seem so sad? I mean, I know it's early in the morning, but--"

"Sakura...I have some bad news for you."

Sakura arched an eyebrow in curiousity, "What?" Tsunade sighed, keeping down the urge to drink an entire bottle of sake; at least being drunk would be better than telling someone they treat as family bad news like this. "Sakura...I received word from the Village Hidden in the Grass this morning," she said.

"The village where my parents are at? Is something going on? Are they all right?"

"They..." Tsunade bit her lip, "are dead."

Sakura's eyes widened, "No...no, you're lying. They can't be...they're not!" She hoped that it was just a joke, that Naruto will pop up and say that it was a joke to wake her up. He didn't speak up.

"No...no, they just can't! They just can't be dead!" she screamed, backing away. Sasuke didn't let her leave the room, blocking the entrance as instructed. Tears fell freely from her emerald eyes as she screamed, "No! Mom and Dad, they just can't! They said they'll be coming home! They did!" As she began to turn around and run away, Sasuke stopped her by wrapping his arms around her. Sakura tried to fight, but it went away when the reality set in. "No...it's not...it's not right," she muttered into Sasuke's chest. He didn't exactly like the close contact, but he knew what she was suffering. Although they were in different situations, he knew exactly how it felt to lose your parents in the way of murder.

"The four of you will be going to the Village Hidden in the Grass in the morning until the Hokages' meeting is over. Also, Sakura, you will be picking up and bringing back the urns with your parents' ashes to be buried, and a few things they left behind for you. Do you understand?"

Sakura nodded, although it wasn't very visible. Sasuke let her go as she turned and ran into Tsunade's arms. She nodded for the others to leave, giving them a moment to take in everything together.


	2. Ready to Go

Author's Note: Hinata isn't shy around Naruto anymore, but they aren't together (yet).

Chapter 2: Ready to Go

Sasuke, Naruto, and Hinata waited patiently in the hallway for Sakura to emerge. Shizune already left, hearing a call at the hospital about a few injured visitors to the village. Naruto cringed everytime he heard a loud sob from Sakura, hating her crying from the pain she felt. Hinata bowed her head, trying her best not to cry with her, while Sasuke just leaned against the wall in silence.

"P-poor Sa-sakura...to l-lose her parents l-like that..." Hinata stammered, trying to choke back her tears, and Naruto grabbed her hand, "I know." Hinata leaned on his shoulder, allowing a few tears to fall. Sasuke looked at them, and then at the door of the office.

_'Sakura...now she knows how it feels to have her family killed. It's not the same as how Itachi killed my clan, but she still lost her parents all the same,'_ he thought. "Sakura's all alone now...her parents and herself were the last members of the Haruno family. She told me that awhile ago. So now she's the last Haruno," Naruto said, then looked over at Sasuke, "Like how you're the last Uchiha, Sasuke-teme." Sasuke released a "Hn" then went back into silence. That was true; he was the last Uchiha, having succeeding in killing Itachi, of course after killing Orochimaru.

A few minutes later, Sakura emerged from the office, her eyes red and her face stained with tears. "Sorry to keep you guys waiting," she said, a small smile, however fake, stretched across her face. Naruto nodded as Hinata gave her pink-hair girl a hug. Sasuke moved away from the wall, hands in his pockets. "Come on Sakura. Let's get the rest of the things for the mission. Same for you two," he said. They looked up at him, then Sakura nodded. "Yeah," she said, following after the Uchiha, while Naruto and Hinata took another way.

"Why aren't we following them?" Hinata asked. "We should leave the last ones alone," Naruto replied.

* * *

They stopped at Naruto's place first so Sasuke could grab his bag. Sakura waited patiently in the living room of the apartment, sitting on the couch with her hands clasped as if in prayer. When Sasuke emerged from his room, his backpack in tow, he stared at her as she forced back the rest of her tears. He heard her whisper, "On a mission, a shinobi does not show emotion. I have to be strong...for the team and for my parents." Sasuke felt a tinge of pain strike him in the heart, a tinge he knew all so well. He brushed it off for now and walked towards the couch. He outstretched his hand to her, "Come on." Sakura nodded, taking his hand, then released it and stood up.

They arrived at Sakura's house and quietly entered. TenTen was still sleeping, and Sakura motioned for Sasuke to keep quiet as she went to her room. A few minutes later, Sakura emerged with her messenger bag over her shoulders, then went in the kitchen. She grabbed a few things of food, small things like trail mix and whatnot, and placed them in her bag, nestled in between the fold of a large blanket. She nodded to Sasuke, and they depared, Sakura locking the door behind them.

The walk to the gate of Konoha was silent, the echo of their footsteps the only sound in the air. Neither spoke, each lost in their thoughts. Sasuke stole a glance at Sakura a few times, but then turned away quickly. Finally, however, he did speak. "Sakura...I'm sorry about your parents," he muttered. Sakura looked up at him, then smiled slightly, "I'm just like you now, huh? I heard Naruto saying to you that I'm the last of the Haruno like you're the last of the Uchiha."

"Hn."

"Thank you..."

"Hn."

Sakura smiled widened slightly, almost as if it was trying to be a laugh, but it faded as they approached the gate and saw Naruto and Hinata waiting.

"Ready to go?" Naruto asked.

"Yes...let's go," Sakura said as Sasuke and Hinata nodded. The gates open and they passed through. The last sound of home they heard was the slam of the gates closing behind them.


	3. Sleeping Unsoundly

Author's Note: Sorry for the delay! I've been Gaia-addicted, so it's been attracting my attention (and then there was some computer problems; ack!). Also, Hinata has her short hair because I like her shorter hair instead of the longer hair. And no, Sakura isn't calling Sasuke Sasuke-kun yet; this will come later.

Chapter 3: Sleeping Unsoundly

The Village Hidden in the Grass was at least three days away, which meant a long walk for the four ninja.

Sakura yawned as she walked alongside Hinata and Sasuke with Naruto following behind them slightly. Unlike the other three, she had very little sleep, about an hour or so after a late-night shift at the hospital. _'And now I'm on my way to a village where my parents...well, wait, for the lack of a better word,'_ she thought, rubbing her eyes quickly.

"You're still really tired, huh Sakura-chan?" Naruto asked with a joking matter in his voice. She gave him a tired smile, "Well, I had probably an hour of sleep before Hinata came and woke me up. I had a very late shift at the hospital. I was in charge of post-op care after about three surgeries." "Wow. I don't think I could ever do as well as you when it comes to nursing and medical things. I can barely stay up past 1:30!" Hinata said with a laugh. Sasuke was silent; he wasn't feeling tired at all despite himself also staying up later than normal (due to Naruto's snoring).

"Hey, can we take a rest? My feet are hurting, I'm hungry, and I want to sit down," Naruto said in a whining voice. "Dobe," Sasuke muttered, but sat down after the other three did. Dawn was barely breaking over the horizon and the last village the foursome came through was miles away. Sakura opened up her bag and pulled out a large package of trail mix. Naruto already knew what was coming and let out his hands before the pink-haired girl had a chance to open the bag. "Okay, okay! Hold on Naruto!" she said with a laugh as she opened the bag and poured some of the mix into his awaiting hands. She gave some to Hinata and Sasuke as well before taking some for herself and placing the bag back into her knapsack. "Yay, thanks Sakura-chan!" Naruto exclaimed as he tried to stuff the entire handful into his mouth. "Naruto-kun, you shouldn't do that. You could choke on it and throw it up," Hinata warned, but it didn't work. Naruto placed it all in his mouth, choked, and spat most of it out into the grass.

"Ew! Naruto!"

"Ugh...idiot."

"I told you so."

Naruto coughed and gagged for a few minutes, but when he caught his breath, he let out his hands again, "Can I have some more? Please please please?" Sakura sighed and took out the mix again.

After a little while, the foursome decided to trek on. Sakura yawned again as she stood up and slung her bag on her shoulders. "Still tired? You know, I can carry you, Sakura-chan. You can sleep on my back," Naruto said, leaving his bag alone for a moment.

"Thank you for the offer, Naruto, but--"

"You won't be able to handle holding her."

Sasuke's comment received glares from Sakura and Naruto as Hinata shrunk back. "Um...please don't tell me there's going to be a fight," she said quietly. "Teme! Are you trying to say I'm not strong enough? Or that Sakura-chan's fat? What the hell did you mean?" Naruto asked in a yelling tone. Sasuke was silent as he took off his bag and tossed it at the blonde, "Because you're going to be carrying that." Sakura stared curiously at him, but then realized that he was offering to carry her instead. "Sasuke, I don't really need to be carried, really!" she said, but Sasuke wasn't going to take a no for an answer. "You being tired is going to hinder us. You need to rest up," he said sternly. Sakura sighed, "All right, if you say so." Sasuke bent down so she could find a comfortable position on his back. Her arms went around his neck and his arms looped around her legs. "Okay, now can we go?" Sakura asked.

* * *

They didn't really stop to do much of anything until it was nearing sunset, outside of the occasional rest and eating. Sakura didn't sleep too much on Sasuke's back; it wasn't very comfortable with all the walking, and after awhile she decided to keep walking, feeling like she was a hindrance to him. She didn't tell him this; Sasuke just guessed, shrugged, and let her do what she wanted.

"I think we should rest for the night. We went pretty far today," Hinata said. She looked a map she carried with her, "We should reach the village in about two more days if we keep traveling at our pace." The others nodded in almost unison. "We'll go a little farther to see if there's another village around, but if not we'll just camp out," Sasuke said.

They walked until the sun was almost completely set. "Well, I guess we're camping out," Sakura said, sitting down in the grass with the others following. Each placed down their bags and began to unwind and relax their sore legs. Hinata went into her bag and dug up three vegetable-sized cans and a box of matches. "I brought some candles to light up just in case. This should give us some light, even though it's not much," she said, "I still have a couple more if we need them." She placed the three candles in the middle, in a small patch of dirt, removed their lids and lit them. For small candles, they did lit rather well. "Great idea, Hinata-chan," Naruto said with a smile, making the Hyuuga blush, although it was barely noticeable in the dim light. Sakura took out the rest of the trail mix and a bag that held several slices of bread. "Well, let's eat something. It's not much, but I don't have a lot in my bag. Next time we reach a village, I plan to buy some more food," she said, pouring out the trail mix into the awaiting hands while Sasuke took the bag of bread and passed around two slices to everyone.

After the food was ate and everyone was relaxed and tired, they decided it was time to sleep. Sakura pulled out a large blanket and a small travel pillow. She pulled out another pillow and passed it to Hinata. "Use this. Keep your hair from getting too dirty," she said with a small laugh. "Hey! What about us, Sakura-chan?" Naruto cried out. "Oy, shut up dobe," Sasuke said, pulling out one of his shirts from his bag and tossed it at him. He laid his head down on the softened bag and turned on his side to sleep. "Hmph," Naruto said before laying the shirt down on the grass. The wind was blowing softly, but Hinata let out a tiny shiver as she laid down. Naruto noticed this, took off his jacket, and wrapped it over her. "Th-thank you, Naruto-kun," Hinata said in a surprised tone, a dark blush over her face. Sakura chuckled slightly as she closed her eyes and buried herself in her blanket.

"Night everyone."

"Night Sakura-chan."

"Night!"

"Hn."

* * *

"_Mineki! Look out! There's more coming behind you!"_

_Mineki Haruno turned around quickly and began to attack them with her katana. "Pay attention to yourself as well, Raketo!" she called out to her husband, who has enemies of his own to face. He turned around and rolled away from the ninja that sent themselves to him._

"_Quiet."_

"_Well, it's true!"_

"_Just fight!"_

_And Mineki did just that with her combination of jutsus and katana as Raketo did with his own weapons of choice. They fought their hardest against the group of ninja that has attacked them outside of the village's walls. They knew that reinforcements were going to arrive, but the two ANBU-nins were unsure of when. They continued to fight as numbers seemed have to increased more and more as the seconds ticked by._

_Suddenly, Raketo felt several stabs to his back and a needle-like prick to his neck. He screamed loudly that it echoed into the air. "Raketo!" Mineki cried out and began to rush to his side, but she was stopped by the same stabs and prick that he had felt. She fell face-first to the ground, her scream muffled and silenced when she collasped. "Mi-mineki..." he muttered out as he stood up, pulling what he could of the kunais that were stuck in his back. He still managed to make somewhat of a run towards his wife, despite the blood coming in a flow off his back. "Mineki...Mineki," he called, but the woman never responded to his calls. A pair of ninja came towards them and Raketo moved himself over his wife and prepared for an attack._

_However, he didn't need to; just at that moment a squad of Grass-nins came in and began to fight the pair. Within a few moments, a second squad came in, taking care of the rest of the enemy. Once done, they were able to help the Harunos. Raketo still tried to call his wife's name as he pulled out the kunais and shurikens that were in her back._

_One of the captains of the squad knelt down beside them. "Looks like she might have been poisoned. You as well, judging by the same prick mark. But you must be having a slower reaction. We must get the both of you to a medic nin right away!" he said, already picking up Mineko. Raketo began to object to him carrying her, but one of the other ninja under command said, "The less moving you do will be better as well. Come. I'll carry you; the less the poison moves through your bloodstream, the better."_

_Sadly, the medic nins tried, but by the time Mineko was brought to the office, she was already dead. Raketo was slowly feeling the same effects, and the doctor knew that there would be no way for him to save the man. Raketo didn't care; he wanted to die now. "But first, before you leave and allow me to die in peace next to my wife, I want you to take these," he said, taking off the promise rings that the pair wore and placing them in the hands of the doctor, "I want these to go to my daughter, Sakura Haruno. Tell her to save these for her most memorable time; she'll know what I mean. And tell her...that we love her, more than anything else in the world."_

* * *

Sakura woke up with a jolt. _'Mom...Dad...is that how you died?' _she asked herself, trying to make sense of what just happened. She sat up to find that the candles were out and it was very chilly. _'Well, I could light them, but the wind will probably blow them out. Besides, they wouldn't provide much warmth anyway unless I'm right on top of them,'_ she thought, bringing her blanket over her shoulders again and tried her best to lay back down.

Just as she did, she noticed Sasuke was up, looking at her. "Sakura...why are you awake?" he asked, half in concern, half in usual tone. "Oh. Well, I guess...it was just a dream," she said, "Sorry."

"About your parents?"

"Yeah...I think I might have seen how they died..."

"Painful...isn't it?"

Sakura nodded, "Yes, but if it happened like it did in my dream, I know that my parents' last thought was on me...and that makes me happy, knowing that they were still thinking of me as they died." Sasuke watched as she wiped away a few tears from her eyes. "Well...there's still a few hours until the sun rises, so I guess we should get some more sleep," Sakura said with a yawn.

Sasuke said nothing, but he moved closer to her. "Huh? Sasuke, what are you doing?" she asked as he dropped his bag next to Sakura's pillow and laid down on it. "The least you can do is share your blanket. It's pretty damn chilly," he muttered, pulling a part of the blanket away from Sakura.

"Hey!" Sakura started to say in protest, but smiled and laid down herself, covering herself with her half of the blanket. _'Thank god this thing is big, for the most part,'_ she thought as she cuddled her cheek into the pillow, facing Sasuke. She knew what he was doing and thought it was very sweet; he was going to lay by her in case she had another dream, and if she did he would be there to give her some sort of comfort. _'Who knew that Sasuke Uchiha would be that caring towards someone...especially me,'_ she finished as she began to go into a deep slumber.

"Night Sasuke...thank you."

"Hn. Night Sakura."


	4. Poison

Author's Note: I just had to have some sort of inner conflict between Sakura and Sasuke and their inner selves. Got to add some sort of comic relief to this chapter, trust me. As for the cereal, I just chose 4 random cereals that I happen to have in my cabinet; I ran out of ideas when it came to it. And when it comes to Sakura's attack, I didn't know of any special jutsus for her to use, so I just made one up.

Chapter 4: Poison

Naruto was the first to wake up the next morning. He sat up, stretched out his arms and legs, and then looked around at his surroundings. Hinata was sound asleep, peaceful and contented, snuggled underneath Naruto's jacket. He smiled, _'She looks so much cuter when she's sleeping.' _He moved over beside her and shook her shoulder to wake her up. "Hey Hinata-chan. Wake up," he said softly.

Hinata let out a small moan, then opened her eyes and looked at the blonde. "Mmm...morning Naruto-kun," she said, then blushed when she remembered she was still wearing his jacket over her like a blanket, "Oh um...th-thank you for letting me use your jacket last night." Naruto smiled as Hinata gave him back the jacket. She looked over at Sasuke and Sakura, then poked Naruto and motioned him to look at them.

The two were resting next to each other, Sakura's head buried in Sasuke's neck and his right arm was wrapped around her shoulders. Sometime during the night Sakura had another dream and Sasuke brought her close and comforted her until she fell asleep. After that, however, he didn't bother to try and move her back to her original spot, but decided to sleep with her cuddled up next to him.

He woke up to Naruto and Hinata's talking, but didn't move as he didn't want to wake Sakura just yet. _'After the night she had, she needs a bit of extra sleep. Besides...I actually kinda like this,'_ he thought, blushing ever so slightly to the thought. Sakura began to stir and push away from Sasuke, making his slightly curse inside. She opened her eyes slowly from her slumber, finding herself looking into the Uchiha's onyx orbs. "Good morning, Sasuke-kun," she whispers, a light tint of blush forming on her cheeks that Sasuke couldn't help but smirk at.

_'She looks pretty cute when she blushes,'_ he thought.

_'Oh yeah, I remember...I fell asleep against him after that nightmare. I shouldn't have, but still, he was so warm and comforting and everything that I couldn't help it,'_ Sakura thought, looking away from his eyes.

_**'Yeah, way to go guys! Now you just need to kiss and you guys are set,'**_ their inner voices said.

_'Shut up!'_ their outers replied.

"Hey you two sleepybirds! Wake up! Unless you want to keep cuddling like an early morning couple," Naruto said, making both of them, and even Hinata slightly, blush. It wasn't something Naruto usually said, that's for sure, but its effect worked well enough to wake them up and Sakura backed away with a deep red face.

Sasuke glared at Naruto, but also kept a small smirk directed to Sakura, enjoying her embarrassment. She began to take the blanket and fold it back up, taking back the pillows that she and Hinata used, and finally pulling out some food to eat. "Hey, there it is," she said, pulling out four sandwich bags of cereal, "I knew I grabbed some. Well, pick your bag I guess."

Naruto took the bag of Fruit Loops, while Hinata took the bag of Life and Sasuke grabbed the Corn Pops, leaving Sakura with the Cheerios. _'Good! I was hoping to have these in the end,'_ she exclaimed proudly inside, opening the bag. The four ate up their meal somewhat slowly, knowing it was going to be a little while before they ate again.

After they finished up, Sakura packed the trash in a small pouch in her bag, then placed in the blanket and pillows before zipping it up. She slugged it over her shoulders as did the others with their bags. Hinata pulled out her map, "Okay...well, based on where we are now, based on the markers I made on here, we continue to go north until we reach Pathway Road, which will take us through a few villages and straight on towards the Village Hidden in the Grass." The three nodded and began their journey.

It was surprisingly quiet; the wind didn't blow, a bird didn't chirp, an animal didn't budge and make the grass give that crisp sound of movement. He didn't know why, but the silence actually made Sasuke tense. _'This is very unusual...this is not normal for being out this far in the country,'_ he thought, but he kept his thoughts inside in hopes of not freaking out the others, especially Sakura, _'She doesn't need anything else to worry about right now.'_

He looked at her quickly, her eyes looking forward for any sign of the road they were supposed to follow. _'I don't know why I keep thinking of her so much. I mean, it's not like I actually have feelings for her. But still...'_ he thought, looking away before her eyes caught his, and he didn't want those emerald orbs to see him staring.

_**'You know you like looking at her. And don't deny those feelings; you said it yourself. You've liked her for awhile, especially after you came back to Konoha,'**_ his inner self spoke.

_'Shut up. I know what I said, and I know what you mean. Oh god, I'm talking to myself,'_ Sasuke thought, wanting to smack himself in the head for what he was doing.

"Hey, I see another marker. Wow, whoever went this way did a great job at making a path to follow," Naruto said. Sakura smiled, "It would actually be a little funny if my parents did. Father was never that great with directions. Then again, what guy is?"

"Hey! That was so mean Sakura-chan!" Naruto called as Sakura busted up with laughter. Sasuke smirked, despite the fact that Sakura's comment also insulted him (very slightly, as he actually had a great sense of direction), and even made the shy Hyuuga giggle. Naruto smiled brightly at Hinata, glad to know that he made her laugh, although it was at his expense.

He didn't know it (so oblivious), but he did like the pale-eyed girl and was happy whenever she was happy. He let out a laugh, "Aww, come on Hinata-chan! Don't tell me you agree with her on that!" Hinata blushed slightly and bowed her head. "W-well...I guess not all guys...Neji, Sasuke, and Shikamaru all have great senses of direction," she said quietly.

"But what about me!?"

"Well...you do as well, Naruto-kun."

Naruto beamed and grabbed her up in a hug. Hinata's face turned bright red at this and Sakura just busted up laughing, her arms over her stomach. Sasuke smirked at her, almost a smile, actually happy to see that the pink-haired girl was smiling and laughing as if the tragedy from yesterday has disappeared for a moment.

However, that feeling didn't last and he tensed up again. He felt an unfamiliar chakra, enemy chakra. Suddenly he saw something going towards Sakura and he reacted quickly, grabbing her and pulling her to the ground with him. Sakura let out a loud, surprised gasp as he grabbed her and brought her under his arm, and began to worry when she say his Sharigan activated. Naruto noticed the item coming back, and brought Hinata down with him. "Are you two all right?" Sakura asked, unable to see them due to the tall grass and Sasuke's arm blocking her view.

"Yeah. What the hell was that?" Naruto asked.

"Some sort of shuriken. Chakra controlled. I don't know what the hell it's doing or who's controlling it, but whatever's going on, I'm destroying it," Sasuke said, looking down at Sakura. He noticed the slight cut that was across her shoulder, more than likely due to his rough force bringing her down. Sakura didn't notice it until she rolled out from under Sasuke. Quickly, she brought some green healing chakra to her fingers and healed her wound.

"I'm sorry," he whispered quickly, but Sakura shook her head, noting that right now was not the time to be making apologies. They stood together, followed by Hinata and Naruto, and dropped their bags. They took out weapons to fight with and prepared themselves for use of some jutsus.

The enemy appeared at last, "Hey hey there...you four aren't on your way to the Village Hidden in the Grass, are you?"

"What is it to you?" Naruto asked boldly, getting angry at the man that was staring at them.

The man chuckled, "Because you won't make it there." With that, three more men came out of hiding and began to attack them. The four split up, each taking on one.

"Byakugan!"

"Shadow Clone Jutsu! Rasegan!"

"Chidori!"

"Blossom Art, Sakura Swirl Jutsu!"

However, no matter how hard they fought, more of the enemy kept popping up. It didn't take too long for Sasuke to notice that someone else was in the background, making these clones to attack them. "Hinata! Use your Byakugan and look around for a stronger chakra than the clones!" he yelled. "All right," she replied, attack as she looked around for what she was told.

She did find it, and pointed it out, "Over there! Hiding in the grass over by the marker!" Sasuke moved quickly, heading in that direction, and releasing a powerful kick against the large marker. It was at that point the marker changed, revealing the real enemy ninja.

"Smart...but you lost your focus, boy."

Suddenly he heard a scream. "Sakura!" he called out, turning around and noticing her pink hair disappearing in the tall grass. Next came Hinata, screaming just the same. "Hinata-chan!" Naruto cried out, letting his shadow clones take over fighting as he rushed to the girls' side. "Hinata-chan! Sakura-chan!"

Sasuke turned around and gave the enemy ninja a beating he would never forget. "What the hell did you do to them!?" he yelled, sending another powerful kick to him until the ninja laid on the ground almost unconscious.

"You bastard, what did you do to them!?" Sasuke demanded. The ninja chuckled slightly, "Heh...by the end of tomorrow night, you will know. Best say...your goodbyes to them."

Sasuke let out an agitated, angered growl, punching him one more time as he went unconscious. The shadow clones of his were defeated by Naruto's clones, which gave them both time to approach their comrades.

Sasuke was over Sakura in a moment, pulling her up into his arms and gently begun to shake her. "Sakura? Sakura, wake up. Sakura," he called constantly. Naruto looked down at Hinata, gently touching her face. "Hinata-chan...come on, don't play around. Get up. Come on, both of you," he said, trying to keep a small, worried smile on his face.

After some trying, Sakura let out a moan, which was welcomed news to both boys. "S-sas-sasuke-kun...Na-naru-to-chan...we've b-been hit w-with po-poison..." she croaked out with stutters, her body shaking. The boys' eyes widened at the news. "No...Sakura-chan, please tell me you're joking. Please!" Naruto cried, turning his attention then to Hinata, who has begun to shiver.

"I'm s-sorry...and I d-don't h-have any ant-anti-dot-te for it...we're bas-ical-ly useless..." she got out, the shivering becoming worse. Sasuke held her close, trying to warm her somehow as he could feel her body temperature dropping. Naruto took off his coat and wrapped it around Hinata, picking her up and holding her close to him.

"There has to be a way to get help for them! We just can't let you guys die! Sakura-chan! Is there anything we can do? Please tell us!" Naruto yelled.

"I d-don't know..."

Tears began to sting Naruto's eyes. "Damn it! Well, we can't just sit here! Teme, come on! We got to get them to another village and get someone to help. Where did Hinata-chan put that map?" he said, placing Hinata down for only a moment as he went to grab her map.

Sakura looked up at Sasuke the best she could, seeing his onyx eyes full of fear and worry. _'I've never seen him like this. He's so...worried about us. About me...'_ she thought. "Sa-suke-kun...I'm s-sorry," she mumbled to him. "No...Sakura, don't," he replied. She managed a weak smile, then closed her eyes and slipped back into an unconscious state. "Sakura? Sakura, wake up! Sakura!" he called out, but it didn't work. She was out this time.

Naruto found the map, looked at it quickly, then folded it and placed it in his pocket. He picked up his and Hinata's bags, slipped them on his shoulders, then picked up Hinata. _'She's so light. Damn it...Hinata-chan, you better not die on me! Sakura-chan either!'_ he thought, grasping her tightly against him.

Sasuke did the same, nodded at Naruto, and began sprinting towards a village, any village, following any markers they could see.


	5. Inner Confessions

Author's Note: Sorry for the long delay! I was grounded, so I wasn't able to go on the computer for anything other than homework! Sorry! But now, here's the next chapter!

And as an added note, after this fic, I plan to write three more, all with couples I never done before. So be on a look out for them!

Chapter 5: Inner Confessions

"Pathway Road is right ahead," Naruto said, making note of the last marker on the map. Sasuke nodded, shifting Sakura's weight in his arms. She was wearing one of his shirts, having suffering from a spasm of shivers about an hour ago. Both she and Hinata woke up for a few moments, enough for a drink of water, but then went back into a state of unconsciousness. Although it was welcoming to see their eyes open slightly and hear their croaky voices, it wasn't enough for the boys.

_'You can't die on us, guys. Hold on, we're on our way. When we get to the next village, we'll figure out something to heal you. Don't leave us...please, Hinata-chan, Sakura-chan,'_ he thought, pulling the jacket over Hinata tighter, feeling her shiver again in another fit. They moved faster; they wanted to get to the road quickly to head for the next village. It was getting dark and soon there would be no light to travel by.

Sasuke looked down at the pink-haired girl in his arms. _'Sakura...I'm sorry I couldn't protect you. Hold on. We'll get you healed. Don't die on me. Please...don't leave me,'_ he thought, pulling her a little closer. From the corner of his eye, Naruto could see Sasuke's struggle to not cry. _'He really loves her. Teme...' _he thought.

Then he looked down at Hinata, _'Then again...it's hard for me too. Because I love Hinata.'_

The long and rocky Pathway Road came into view and their pace went a bit faster, dark coming quicker and quicker. But in a short amount of time, just as the sun set beyond the horizon, they could see the faint light of a village's streetlights. "Finally! Hopefully someone there will be able to help us," Naruto said, grasping Hinata closer to him as she had a small bout of shivers.

Sasuke suddenly stopped, hearing Sakura moan slightly. "Huh? Teme, what's wrong?" Naruto asked, noticing him stopping. "Sasuke-kun...are we almost there?" she whispered, her eyes opening lightly, revealing dull, emerald orbs. "We're almost at a village. Hold on, Sakura. We're going to find someone to help you. I promise," he said, making her smile a little bit before closing her eyes. He nodded to the blonde, then continued his sprint.

* * *

They looked around the buildings, trying to find a doctor's office or hospital. However, the possibility of a hospital was unlikely with the size of the village. At last, however, they did find a sign advertising a doctor. Working around Hinata, Naruto knocked hard on the door, "Doc! Hey, whoever's in there! Open up! We need some help!"

A few moments later, the door opened, revealing an older man, his hair grey and his body a little hunched over. "Oy...office hours are over, you know. Come back in the morning," he said crankily, rubbing his eyes as if he just woke up.

"Look, this can't wait! These girls have been poisoned! And if they don't get help soon, they'll die!" Naruto yelled, getting very enraged by the man. He opened his eyes, adjusting his sight, then noticed the girl resting in Naruto's arms, his eyes then roaming towards Sakura and Sasuke. "Hmm...now that's different. Come inside. Lay the girls on the beds over there, then sit down on the couch over there," he said, pointing to the objects said. They did as told, although they were reluctant to leave their sides, even if it was only a few feet away.

The doctor looked them over, just as Sakura moaned and awoke again, "Sasuke-kun..." The Uchiha immediately stood up, rushing to his side and grabbing her hand in his. "What is it, Sakura? What's wrong?" he asked. "I just...wa-wanted to know y-you were h-here...because I d-didn't feel your arms a-around me anymore. I'm s-sorry for worry-rying you," she whispered, licking her lips. He smirked at her, brushing a bit of hair from her face. "I'll be right here. I promise," he said, kneeling down beside her with their hands still interlocked. She smiled slightly again before going back into her sadly-usual state.

"Hmm...I know what poison this is. I'm actually surprised these girls lasted as long as they have. Have they woken up often?" the doctor asked.

"Kinda. Hinata only woke up a few times, but Sakura managed to wake up a little more than she did."

"They must have a lot of chakra in their system then. This poison attacks the chakra points and destroys the chakra that flows through them by damaging, or destroying, the points. How many times have they had fits of shivering?"

"I can remember Hinata having about five or six fits, while Sakura had about four."

"That means several of their chakra points have been destroyed already."

The doctor looked around quickly, trying to find something which the boys assumed was a cure. However, what he grabbed wasn't what they hoped. "This will only temporarily protect their points from being destroying. It won't cure the poison; the medics in the Grass village have the cure for it, not me. I will send a messenger bird to the medic there and send for a carriage to take you there," he said, pouring a bit of the medicine on a spoon. With Sasuke's help, he managed to slip a little of it into each of the girls' mouths and got them to swallow it down with a quick drink of water.

He turned away, writing a quick note, then attached it to a leg of a bird that was resting in another room. "Go to the Grass village's medic, understand? Quickly, as well," he told the bird, releasing it outside. He turned towards the worried boys, "For tonight, you'll have to stay here. If anything seems to get worse, feel free to let me know. I'm going to be staying upstairs." He yawned, muttering something about sleep before trudging upstairs, to what they assumed was his room.

Sasuke looked over at Sakura, who seemed to be resting comfortably. He brushed a hand through her hair, enjoying slightly the feel of her soft locks tangled in his fingers. Although he knew he probably shouldn't have done it, he took her off of the bed and rested her in his arms, making sure she was as close to him as could be.

Naruto watched this scene between them, then his eyes trailed over to Hinata. He moved towards the bed, rested down beside her, and brought the girl into his arms. He looked at her, closed his eyes, and brushed his lips over her forehead quickly. "Hinata...I love you," he whispered quietly, even though he knew that she wouldn't hear the words.

In his mind as he began to fall asleep, Sasuke thought the same thing, feeling Sakura's even breathing brushing against his neck. _'I won't leave you if you don't leave me,'_ he thought as he closed his eyes, _'I love you.'_


	6. Live or Die? The Cure Administered

Author's Note: Well, the story's almost over folks! I know, it's sad, but I hope that you enjoyed reading it as I enjoyed writing it (which I really did; I never wrote a story with NaruHina in it before!).

And you may hate me after this chapter. Sorry, but I have to do it!

Chapter 6: Live or Die? The Cure Administered

Sasuke woke up to the sound of horses. "Huh...Naruto, get up," he said, grabbing the attention of the half-asleep dobe. "Mmm...what's going on, teme?" he asked with a yawn, sitting up with his arms unwrapping themselves slightly from around Hinata.

A knock on the door, "Doctor Raspler?" The doctor made his appearance and opened the door, knowing full well who it was. "Ah. You must be Mr. Michi, Doctor Tare's assistant. They are right over here," he said, pointing over the four ninja.

Michi looked over at them, "I see. The girls are the ones suffering from the poison. We best get going, quickly. They might not have enough time left, and the cure must be administered soon." Sasuke stood up, Sakura in his arms while Naruto picked up Hinata. Raspler grabbed their bags and brought them out to the awaiting carriage. "Are you the four that was sent to help the village? That girl looks familiar to a pair I had to help," Michi said as they started to settle in, pointing at Sakura.

Naruto nodded, "Yeah. I'm Naruto Uzumaki, and these are my friends Sasuke Uchiha, Sakura Haruno, and Hinata Hyuuga." "Haruno...so she's the daughter of the pair that passed away. The sad irony...their daughter affected by poison as they were," he whispered. Raspler placed their bags beside Sasuke's feet. "Good luck. I'll pray that the girls will be all right," he said, backing away as the carriage took off.

* * *

When they arrived in the Grass village, it was already around noon. The carriage stopped in front of the hospital, where Michi stood up and exited. Sasuke and Naruto followed behind him, carrying their bags on their backs and the girls in their arms carefully. As they waited for Michi to lead them inside, they listened to the whispered conversation made between him and another doctor, whom they assumed was Doctor Tare.

However, the only words they were able to make out were the scariest words of all.

_**Six hours left.**_

_**May not survive.**_

_**They could die before--**_

"That's it! Stop standing there and talking, and help them out! Get the cure and heal them!" Naruto yelled, angered at their delaying chatting. Sasuke was also getting angry at the doctors, who now just stood and stared at them. Finally they moved, motioning them to follow.

Tare's office was small, and if Sakura was awake, she would've realized this was the room where her parents passed away, the place in her dream. The boys placed them on the lone bed, side by side, then sat beside them on one side of the bed, Sasuke in a chair and Naruto on the floor by his feet.

"Boys, I know you're worried, but sitting there will--"

"I'm not moving! Not until Hinata-chan and Sakura-chan wakes up!"

"I won't either."

Tare sighed, "Fine. Michi, let's get started. We have to administer the cure quickly; there's not a lot of time left for them. They only have until sundown..."

* * *

Tare and Michi let out a sigh. With struggle, they manage to give the girls the cure, which was a three-part process that involved a shot, a swallow of a green liquid, and the chewing of a strange pill. As the process went along, they explained what each part was for to the worried shinobis.

"The shot is meant to heal and repair the chakra points that were damaged and help piece together the points that were destroyed. This will also protect them from damage while the next step is given."

"The liquid is supposed to eradicate the poison. The poison is a flow in the chakra system, and normal medicine and medical jutsus can't heal it. This is the only medicine that actually goes into the chakra system."

"Lastly, the pill is to stop the side effects and eradicate any poison that was in the bloodstream. The poison can leave the chakra system and attack the organs, which can cause more immense damage. With that last bit, the three start to work together to get it out fast but carefully so it doesn't damage anything in the process."

Tare looked over at them, "But it will take time. There's a little less than 5 hours left. Hopefully that will be enough time for the cure to fully work. All you can do right now is pray for them to live."

The boys looked at them, their eyes on the one they loved, and they did pray hard.

_'Hinata, please don't die. The cure has to work. I don't want you to die. I want you to hear me say I love you. And I want to hear you say that too.'_

_'You best get better soon, Sakura. I'm not going lose you twice. Especially not now. I love you.'_

All they could do was wait...


	7. A Sweet Return

Author's Note: Well, this is the last chapter folks! But it's going to be better than the last chapter, promise! I just had to do a cliffhanger moment; I have to in all my fics. I like to torment the readers a bit. I know, I'm evil.

Chapter 7: A Sweet Return

The time clicked by slowly.

Four hours.

Sasuke and Naruto sat there almost motionless, the only real sound in the room was the deep breaths the girls let out. They hoped that it was a sign that the medicine was working, and that they would wake up soon.

Three hours.

No real sign of progress yet, but no shivers and breathing level. The boys took shifts of who would leave the room to stretch out tired legs or eat or whatever was needed to be done, but always one was in the room, watching them and waiting for a sign of awakening.

Two hours.

Michi and Tare came in a few times to check on the process. "So far, it looks like it's working. But that doesn't mean that it will fully succeed. Pray that in less than 2 hours they'll wake up and be fine," Tare said, making a few notes on a chart then leaving the room. Michi sighed, "I hope that these girls will not suffer the same fate as the Harunos. Granted, the poison used in their systems was far stronger and far more deadly, but all the same...you know what I mean." He, too, left the room, leaving the boys to sigh and pray again in loneliness.

One hour.

Time began to click by faster now; it was running short. A wave of panic started to rush over them as the time went past.

45 minutes.

"Come on...wake up guys. Don't leave us now."

30 minutes.

"Please...Sakura. Wake up."

"Hinata-chan, you can't die!"

15 minutes.

Naruto grabbed tightly to Hinata's hand, feeling the warmth still radiating from it. "Wake up, Hinata-chan. Please wake up and tell me you're all right," he whispered, bring the hand to his face and lightly kissed it.

10 minutes.

Sasuke brought Sakura into his arms, holding her close and burying his head into her hair. "Sakura...wake up. Wake up; don't leave me. I don't want to lose you again," he muttered, taking in a deep breath.

5 minutes.

They could each feel the sting of tears, no matter how pathetic it looked for them. They wished, prayed, and hoped their hardest as they began to cry.

1 minute.

"Damn it, wake up!"

Time expired. The girls were still asleep.

Naruto began to sob, whispering through tears Hinata and Sakura's names. Sasuke tried to hide his face in his love's hair, his tears wetting the pink locks that he grew to adore.

Suddenly, a sound came that they never imagined to hear. A deep, gasp-like breath. It was followed by a moan, and finally a voice.

"S-sasuke-kun?"

"Nar-ruto-kun? Are y-you there?"

Hinata opened her eyes to see Naruto staring at her, blue orbs full of tears. "Huh...why are you crying, Naruto-kun?" she asked softly. His lips started to form one of his infamous silly smiles as she sat up, although she was only to be knocked down by his large hug. "You had me so worried, Hinata-chan! You shouldn't do that again! Do you know how hard it is for someone to worry so hard about someone they love most of all? Don't make me freak out like that again!" he said, somewhat scolding, somewhat laughing, but all the while confessing his love in different words.

"H-huh? Naruto-kun...what did you say?"

"I said I loved you, goof! And people say I'm the oblivious one!"

Sakura smiled a bit and let out a small giggle, "That's because you are." He looked over and smiled widely at her, "But not now!" Then he turned back over to Hinata, gave her a kiss on the cheek, then continued to hug her as she blushed and tried to put everything together.

Sakura continued to smile at them, then looked up at Sasuke, whom still had a large trail of tears in his eyes. "Sasuke-kun...I've never seen you cry before. It doesn't look cute on you," she said, freeing an arm from his tight grasp and began to wipe away one of the trails.

His hand stopped her and he leaned in, closing his eyes as his lips met hers. She gasped slightly to the move, but finally relaxed and wrapped her arms around his neck, returning the kiss.

They only stopped when Naruto decided to cheer, "Whoo! Way to go, teme!" Sasuke resisted the urge to throw something at his head. "Shut up, dobe," he muttered, making Sakura laugh a bit.

Tare and Michi entered, both of them smiling. "Well...I see the cure was a success," Tare said. Michi released a sigh of relief, "Thank God for that."

* * *

_2 weeks later..._

"Sasuke-kun, will you come with me to the graveyard?"

"Hn, sure. Why not?"

Sasuke slipped on his sandals as Sakura grabbed the bouquet of flowers off the table. They, along with Naruto and Hinata, came back home about three days after their ordeal with the poison. A funeral was planned the day afterward for Sakura's parents, and Sasuke asked at that point if she would like to stay with him now that she was alone. She accepted, happy that he offered.

For Naruto and Hinata, they didn't have the easiest time getting approval. Although Hinata's father Hiashi accepted (with a warning to Naruto), Neji had a problem and wanted to actually kill him. At last, however, his cousin managed to convince him that Naruto would do no harm to her (although afterward he tackled her with a hug).

It was a short walk from their house to the graveyard, which was when they walked slower in respect. Together, side by side, her parents shared a grave, just as they wanted to happen. Sasuke stood back as Sakura approached, laying the flowers on the grave and said a quick prayer. He looked ahead, noticing the graves of his family in the distance, then made a motion to go over there.

"Huh, Sasuke-kun?"

"Come on. I want you to meet my parents."

Sasuke grabbed her hand and made their way to the graves. Like hers, his parents laid side by side. Sakura stood beside her as he tightened his grip on her hand.

"Mother, Father...this is Sakura Haruno. I wanted you to meet her. She is the girl I loved...and may one day be the girl I want to marry."

Sakura gasped and looked up at the Uchiha, who turned and smirked at her. "This won't be for a couple more years, but hopefully...she'll accept and be considered a part of the Uchiha family," he said, giving her a quick kiss. Sakura still looked at him in surprised, but at last smiled, "I would like for that to happen...but as long as I can keep my name as part of it."

He still smirked, although it looked almost like a smile, "Of course."

Meanwhile...at Ichiraku...

"Get over here, Naruto!"

"Neji, I didn't do anything!"

Hinata sighed as she rubbed her eyes, wet from a few tears, "Something got into my eyes, Neji! Stop chasing Naruto-kun!"


End file.
